So we are probably all feeling SO over our new year’s resolutions at this stage and it’s only coming into the third week of January.
So, what now?
Well, the question I get asked the most often is how to get (and STAY) motivated.
It’s simple and it isn’t, you see.
To get started, you have to feel motivated and to stay motivated you have to be motivated to begin with- it’s all very ‘what came first, the chicken or the egg’ really…
Well, my advice is to start small, with little achievable steps that make sense to your lifestyle, which are realistic to maintain and grow. You see, what looks easy to you, I might find incredibly difficult, and vice versa. We are all unique in our feelings, our abilities, our nutritional needs and our emotional needs and these are ALL at play here.
So, how do we make it easier on ourselves?
Well, I’ve put a little list below which will hopefully act as a print out and stick on the fridge kind of list, which might help a few of you stay on track over the next few months.
1. Think of all those times where you pull at your clothes, worry about what to wear and feel less confident in clothes you used to feel so good in. Those moments will fade away when you start to train and eat healthier as you know you are working towards a healthier goal. NOTE: not skinny, not bony and not starving. HEALTHY.
2. Having cravings might not just mean that you have a sweet tooth- it may actually mean you are deficient in something- take a read of my recent blogpost on cravings here.
3. Looking for an easier way to stay away from sugar can be tough at the start. People often ask me about timing meal prep and where I find the time to plan ahead. I don’t have a TV- yes I’m a weirdo 😉 But it means I have more time to do other things which are far more important in my life. Then if I want to watch something, I go to a friends or download it. It feels more like a treat and I have more of my evening to enjoy.
4. Dehydration is one of the main reasons we reach for something naughty. So try sticking to 2-3l of bottled water this week and switch your coffee for green tea for a healthy boost.
5. Going ‘low carb’ for me means fueling my body with the energy it actually needs so I tend to eat more rice or sweet potato for example on days I’m training or on a cheat day. This kind of diet plan will look different for everyone and is so personal. So by following someone else’s plan, you may find your results are very different as we all ‘burn’ calories differently, even at rest.
6. Be mindful of what you eat by keeping track of your daily eating plan. This may or may not include calorie counting. If your doctor recommends you need to lose weight for your health, please don’t go on a crash diet, but follow a healthier nutrition plan that you can MAINTAIN.
7. Skip the juice diets and faddy weight loss teas. They make you go to the toilet, nothing more nor less. Juicing is great to add to your diet as long as the juice isn’t processed and isn’t a meal replacement. It is simply a nice fresh boost of vitamins for your body. Note that adding fruit to your diet increases your sugar intake, so again, please be mindful of this.
8. Protein is hugely important but following a cleaner eating path doesn’t just mean you need to gorge on chicken fillets for the rest of your life. Your body quickly adjusts to your eating patterns so keep it colourful, fresh and non-processed as a golden rule!
9. Take note of any reactions. Certain foods make me feel bloated, uncomfortable and some even make me vomit shortly after eating them or bring me out in mouth ulcers. Not pleasant. SO what do I try and do? AVOID THEM! Simple as.
10. Superfoods/Diet products/slimming supplements and other ‘detox’ products are legal conning. I work in marketing and this is, in essence, what we do as marketeers. ‘We’ advertise and promote and make something desirable. They are all quick fire solutions or foods that certain industries want you to buy for commercial profit, so keep that in mind. Think whole, fresh foods- nothing about blueberries or acai is ‘super’ it’s simply fresh and nutritious, but so too are fresh fish, fresh kale, fresh strawberries…The real thing to watch is the GI load or the impact of the level of sugar in certain foods as what you don’t want is a berry fueled sugar crash, just because the magazine of the month says berries are SO hot right now.
Finally, find what works for you. People are always asking me why I eat x, or why I want abs or muscles or to be stronger. It’s because they are my personal goals. I want to live a long and healthy life, not a life full of hangovers, bad skin and poor moods.
I’m not suffering if I don’t go out every weekend, it’s just a personal choice. If I feel like a glass of wine and dessert, followed by nutella crepes, I will have ALL of the crepes.
Life is about enjoying your time, but ‘balance’ looks very different to everyone so keep in mind that you have one body and one mind and it’s our job to make sure they are both kept running like a well-oiled machine. And trust me, by eating better, you’ll feel better and by feeling better you’ll look better- It’s a wonderfully simple cycle.
X
